Retinal Detachment

A retina that has detached from the support of the eye is a contraindication for Lasik.

Detachment of the retina occurs when the light sensitive membrane inside the eye separates from the support of the inner eye.

Higher Risk

All myopic individuals have a higher risk for retinal detachment, with our without refractive surgery. The extra length of the myopic eye creates pressures on the retina that pulls it away from the back of the eye. For this reason, very highly myopic individuals may not be appropriate for conventional or wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, or Epi-Lasik.

Lasik Alternatives

A person at risk for retinal detachment may be appropriate for other types of refractive surgery like PRK, or LASEK. In the Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, and Epi-Lasik processes, a microkeratome is affixed to the eye with a suction ring. This suction greatly increases the IOP of the eye for a brief time. The increased internal pressure may negatively affect a retinal detachment or someone predisposed to a retinal detachment.

Lens Based Refractive Surgery

The lens-based procedures RLE and P-IOL are significantly more invasive than other forms of refractive surgery and require special attention to patients who have a history of retinal detachment or are predisposed to retinal detachment.

Looking For Best Lasik Surgeon?

If you are ready to choose a doctor to be evaluated for conventional or custom wavefront Lasik, Bladeless Lasik, PRK, or any refractive surgery procedure, we recommend you consider a doctor who has been evaluated and certified by the USAEyes nonprofit organization. Locate a USAEyes Evaluated & Certified Lasik Doctor.

Personalized Answers

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Recent Lasik and Retinal Detachment Medical Journal Articles...

Related Articles

Stickler syndrome. Epidemiology of retinal detachment.

Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol. 2015 Mar 24;

Authors: Vilaplana F, Muiños SJ, Nadal J, Elizalde J, Mojal S

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: A review was performed on all patients with Stickler syndrome that had been treated in our Centre since it was diagnosed, in order to evaluate the risk of suffering a retinal detachment (RD).
METHODS: A total of 14 patients, diagnosed by clinical criteria, were included. The following variables were evaluated: age, gender, ocular background, follow-up, initial and final visual acuity (VA), optical prescription, prophylactic treatment, surgery and techniques performed. The risk age to suffer a RD, as well as cataracts, was determined by using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis.
RESULTS: From a total of 5 men and 9 women, the median initial VA was 0.35, which was the same as the final VA. The median optical prescription was -9.5 D myopia. The median of follow-up was 7 years. Ocular background was 4 RD cases and 2 Lasik surgeries. The operations performed were 8 RD, 12 cataract, 2 glaucoma, 2 macular hole, and one endotropia. The median age of RD was 20 years and cataract 34 years. As regards surgical tecnique, 4 scleral buckle cases, and 4 scleral buckle+pars plana vitrectomy cases were formed. The prophylactic treatments performed were: one scleral buckle case, 4 endolaser photocoagulation, and one cryotherapy. Two of which presented with RD.
CONCLUSION: In the series presented, retinal detachment in Stickler syndrome mainly occurs in the second decade of life, with cataracts mainly developing in the fourth decade.

PMID: 25817961 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]